Don't let the green beer lead to a DUI this weekend

Be careful with the green beer this weekend and don't drink and drive!

A lot of cities are stepping up police enforcement this weekend to combat DUI offenders. Of course, it is St. Patrick’s weekend and a lot of people seem to overindulge when the green beer is served.

The Tennessee Highway Patrol will have extra units out in Rutherford County on not only Friday, but also Saturday and Sunday. Troopers will have a sobriety checkpoint set up on NW Broad Street at State Route 840.

The City of LaVergne also tells us that if you drink and drive during St. Patrick’s Day weekend, your four-leaf clover might not help you because the La Vergne Police Department will be looking for you. Alcohol Saturation Patrols are scheduled during St. Patrick’s Day weekend by law enforcement agencies throughout the area.

From March 15-18, between 4:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m., the La Vergne Police Department, the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Department, the Tennessee Highway Patrol, and the Murfreesboro and Smyrna police departments will continually monitor vehicular traffic for signs of impaired driving within city limits and along I-24. Theses saturation points will also focus on speeding, safety belt, and other road violations. The cost of the saturation patrols are covered through a Governor Highway Office Safety grant.

“When the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says 32 percent of alcohol related deaths occurred during St. Patrick’s Day weekend last year, it gets our attention,” said Police Chief Mike Walker. “No injury or death is acceptable, and we will do everything possible to ensure the citizens and visitors of La Vergne are safe.”

The grant funding pays for overtime of law enforcement officers to patrol the streets looking for drunk or impaired drivers.